Many popular turning tools have a turning inset secured in a pocket via a rigid clamp arrangement. Theses turning tools have a clamping screw which pulls and adjoins the clamp onto a tool body, such that the clamp in turn, secures an insert in a pocket. The clamping screw normally has a head with a flat head bottom surface, and an elastic neck which bends, to enable a pivotal displacement between the clamp and tool body. The pivotal displacement, or motion, is advantageous to improve coupling of the insert. This is achieved via the rigid clamp backwards movement, while pulling the insert into a pocket wedge, and also a downwards movement, towards the tool body, while pushing the insert towards a pocket base surface. The neck's elasticity (elastic deformation) is achieved via a relatively slim neck portion which extends between a head and a thread of the clamping screw. However, in these tools, this repeated elastic deformation is achieved at the price of lowered clamping forces as compared to clamping forces achieved with ‘standard’ clamping screws that are not required to elastically bend. Furthermore, plastic deformation can develop in the clamping screw which usually results in accelerated wear. Even further, these tools usually do not include fluid (e.g., coolant) conveyance, mainly due to the complex angular displacement and/or pivotal motion.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,273,331 discloses a turning tool with a turning inset secured in a pocket via a rigid clamp arrangement. The turning tool has a clamping screw which pulls and adjoins the clamp onto a tool body, such that the clamp pulls and secures an insert in a pocket. The clamping screw has flat head bottom surface. The turning tool also includes fluid conveyance via the clamping screw and through the rigid clamp. However, the rigid clamp of U.S. Pat. No. 7,273,331 cannot push the insert downwards, and provide the advantageous clamping disclosed hereinabove.
In summary, current clamping mechanisms provide at least two features. The first relates to rotational freedom of movement of the fastener which, after tightening, can receive any rotational end position. The second feature relates to the clamping of the insert via the clamp which requires a pivotal, or angular, displacement between the fastener and the clamp.
In addition to the abovementioned features, the current invention also provides fluid-conveyance, which has become a desired feature in the constantly-improving turning field. Although not a requirement, the current invention can also provide high-pressure fluid conveyance (normally above 70 BAR) which is considered a major advantage.
The present invention provides all three features—free-rotational freedom of movement, pivotal displacement and fluid conveyance, with little-to-none compromise in cost-efficiency and/or tool-life.
The present invention is intended to respectively overcome and solve the aforementioned disadvantages and problems.